Investigation of storage performance of strawberry and sweet cherry fruit coated with nanoparticles based on boron

This study, which aims to reduce postharvest quality losses through environmentally friendly approaches, encompasses the preparation of boron and copper nanoparticles via a green synthesis method using cherry leaf extract and the evaluation of their cold-storage performance on strawberry and cherry fruits. The morphological structure and particle size of CuO, chitosan, and boron nanoparticles produced through green synthesis were characterized. In trials conducted to determine the effective dose against diseases that cause significant product losses during storage, the highest inhibition rate against Botrytis cinerea was recorded in BOR2 (1000 ppm) and BAKIR2 (2000 ppm) treatments, with 91.36% inhibition. In Monilinia spp. tests, nano-chitosan exhibited the highest antifungal efficacy with 93.5% inhibition, followed by 2000 ppm copper oxide nanoparticles (92%) and 1000 ppm boron nanoparticles (90.7%). In strawberries, weight loss increased as storage progressed, with BAKIR2 identified as the most effective treatment in slowing weight reduction. Decay was not observed only in the KİTOSAN and BOR2+KİT groups. The BOR1+KİT treatment comparatively better preserved fruit firmness; total phenolic content generally declined, while total monomeric anthocyanin levels increased during the later stages of storage. Vitamin C retention was found to be more pronounced particularly in boron and chitosan combinations. In cherry samples, CHITOSAN effectively limited weight loss. Soluble solids content (SSC) increased under BAKIR1+KİT and BAKIR2+KİT treatments. Increases in pH were restricted by BAKIR2+KİT and BOR2+KİT, while decreases in titratable acidity (TA) were partially controlled by KİTOSAN, BAKIR2, BOR1+KİT, and BOR2+KİT treatments. Firmness initially increased on day 7 of storage but subsequently declined, and respiration rate rose over time. L* and hue values decreased, whereas total phenolic content (TPC) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) tended to increase during the later storage stages. Total monomeric anthocyanin (TMA) content increased markedly by the end of storage. Although vitamin C levels declined overall, they remained close to the control in KİTOSAN and certain boron treatments. The findings demonstrate that chitosan acts as an effective barrier in limiting moisture and quality losses, while copper and boron–chitosan combinations provide complementary contributions toward maintaining targeted quality parameters.